Today we hear about a new chair to combat hospital-borne illnesses. An e-mailed pitch tells us: "As hospitals have begun to restrict visiting hours because of H1N1 concerns, Linder's designs improve sanitation while also increasing comfort."

Here's more on the chair, which, to be fair, seems to have found fans at the Center for Health Design.

Then there was this subject line: "Interest in ASLEEP? New book about the encephalitis lethargica epidemic of the 1920's, which could re-emerge with the next flu pandemic."

And more on the book. Again, to be fair, the as-yet-unpublished work may well be riveting -- or find fans at the Center for Health Design -- but such alarmism ... tsk.

-- Tami Dennis

Photo: The pandemic strain of H1N1 flu has launched a thousand pitches.